His defense team is arguing that Willoughby Hills police made numerous errors in its investigation.
According to a recent motion to suppress filed by attorneys Michael Connick, Dennis LoConti and Gary Vick Jr. in Lake County Common Pleas Court:

-- From June 4 through June 6, a series of phone calls, voicemails and text messages were recorded between the defendant and a police “agent” in California. This violated the state of California’s wiretapping statutes, as well as his Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights.

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-- On July 10, police had an “agent” of law enforcement wear a secret recording device to obtain “incriminating statements” from Kevin Knoefel at his Chagrin Drive property.

“The defendant … was unaware that the ‘agent’ was acting on behalf of and as part of a law enforcement operation, was unaware that his private property was invaded by law enforcement without his permission or without a search warrant, was unaware that he was being recorded, and was unaware that he was being placed in a situation that afforded him the right to invoke his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent,” Connick wrote in the motion.

-- On Aug. 9, Kevin Knoefel was interrogated immediately after his arrest and without an attorney, and was not free to leave the police station.

“Defendant submits that this video recording and the content of the interrogation should be suppressed as it was made as a result of duress and coercion,” according to the defense motion.

-- A Dec. 4 police interview with the defendant took place with his attorney. Although his lawyer told detectives he did not agree to a recorded interview, police secretly recorded it anyway.

-- There was not probable cause for search warrants that were executed against the defendant’s home, telephones, cameras and computer since police affidavits contained “only information received from the personal observations of an unnamed confidential informant and the officer’s avowal that the informant is reliable.”

Prosecutors had not yet filed a response to the motion to suppress.

A hearing on the issue is tentatively scheduled for Saturday before Judge Joe Gibson.

Knoefel is scheduled to go on trial Jan. 21 on charges of conspiracy and complicity to commit aggravated murder.

He is also charged with six counts of sexual battery for allegedly having an illicit relationship with his foster daughter, 18-year-old Sabrina Zunich.